2/8/2019 - wineduggery Likes this wine:

Just delightful. Reminds me of a Flowers Pinot profile. Sweet and savory.

12/25/2018 - wineduggery Likes this wine:

A less well-known Santa Barbara Pinot, but just delicious.

12/25/2018 - wineduggery Likes this wine:

Our go-to Sancerre. Lemon-lime with solid acidity and a hint of minerality.

12/16/2018 - wineduggery Likes this wine:

A solid, entry-level Champagne much like Bollinger.

11/23/2018 - wineduggery Likes this wine:

A lovely example of Napa Cabernet. Signature flavor profile.

11/23/2018 - wineduggery Does not like this wine:

Very tannic and astringent, but smooth. Way too soon.

11/14/2018 - wineduggery Likes this wine:

Wow, this is delicious. A great offering from an exciting new producer. Reminds me of a good Penner Ash.

11/14/2018 - wineduggery wrote:

Not worth the money relative to the basic bottling, but my view might change with some cellar time.

11/14/2018 - wineduggery Likes this wine:

A good value for Oregon Pinot. I get some of this every year.

10/30/2018 - wineduggery Likes this wine:

A solid rosé Champagne. Just delicious, and a good value.

10/30/2018 - wineduggery Likes this wine:

Has a balance and depth of flavor that is unusual. Very complex and delicious. One of the best Champagne bottles I’ve had.

8/3/2018 - wineduggery Does not like this wine:

Disappointing. 85% Pinot Noir. Drinks like a blanc de noir. Heavy with thick bubbles.

8/3/2018 - wineduggery Likes this wine:

Simply delicious in the typical, creamy Vilmart style.

6/17/2018 - wineduggery Likes this wine:

A beautiful bottle. Green apple, yeast, and caramel. Semi-fine mousse. Better after being open for an hour.

6/10/2018 - wineduggery Likes this wine:

Young, but still expressive of those classic Barolo flavors, especially tar and licorice. Set it down for another 10 years if you can.

6/9/2018 - wineduggery Likes this wine:

Comes together beautifully, as there is a deliciousness factor here that is often missing from less complex Champagnes. Chardonnay predominates, but there is a nice balance here. Worth every penny.

6/9/2018 - wineduggery Does not like this wine:

Disgorged 11/16. Disappointing. Brioche dominates along with caramel. No discernible fruit. Tastes like a long-aged Champagne.

6/8/2018 - wineduggery wrote:

A weak year for this wine. Has the characteristic salty minerality, but the fruit lacks the usual CA punch. Tastes more like Provence this year.

6/3/2018 - wineduggery wrote:

Lemon, green apple, and brioche with a fine mousse. Seemed a bit flat and lacking in depth even after being open for an hour. Not what I’m used to with this producer, but the bottle did not appear to be flawed. Could be the Cristal effect.

5/22/2018 - wineduggery Likes this wine:

Needs an hour to open up, and shows best at a moderate temperature. I prefer the flavor profile of the 09 Cristal, but this is still delightful.

5/12/2018 - wineduggery wrote:

Brioche dominates the flavor profile. Very smooth, nice mouth feel, fine mousse. Too simple for the price. Not enough fruit to balance the yeast.

4/30/2018 - wineduggery Likes this wine:

Delicious and approachable are good overall descriptors from Charlie. The fruit is complex with citrus and red fruits present, which is different from the apple/pear profiles of most Champagnes. Nice acidity and a medium long finish with brioche dominating. Just wonderful. Probably my favorite overall Champagne producer.

4/2/2018 - wineduggery Likes this wine:

Apple and brioche dominate the flavor profile. Nice weight and balance. Needs an hour of air to show well. Serious stuff.

3/31/2018 - wineduggery wrote:

Very elegant. Still very young, but I know this wine was well taken care of during cellaring. Clear ruby with no discernible bricking, which was surprising. I think this wine was heavily filtered, which removed some of the essential brunello character.

3/29/2018 - wineduggery Likes this wine:

Bill nailed the taste profile. Just wonderful. Decant for an hour before drinking, as this takes a bit to open up.

3/27/2018 - wineduggery wrote:

Very big and rich style that’s a little out of balance for my palate. Pear and brioche with an oxidative quality that makes it seem more mature. Aged on its lees for 82 months, and disgorged 5/16.

3/23/2018 - wineduggery Likes this wine:

Youthful and lovely, but I would leave this for 5 years at least. Cherry and barn yard with good acidity. 2nd only to the Margaux tonight.

3/23/2018 - wineduggery Likes this wine:

So youthful, which surprised all of us. The deep red color made it seem like a much more youthful wine. Must have been well taken care of prior to purchase 2 months ago. Sour cherry, licorice, and green pepper with more subtle notes of cigar box. Just lovely. WOTN.

3/23/2018 - wineduggery Does not like this wine:

Weighty and more viscous than typical Champagne. Sour fruit profile was off-putting. Disgorged 2017.

3/13/2018 - wineduggery Does not like this wine:

Lacking in fruit. Mainly cassis and cigar box with some tar and licorice. Astringent to the point of being almost sour. Decanted two hours before drinking.

3/10/2018 - wineduggery Likes this wine:

Typical Flowers profile with red fruit, especially cranberry, predominating.

3/10/2018 - wineduggery Likes this wine:

Lucious and velvety is right. Opulent Cali Cab if ever there was one. Pop and pour, but it does get better in the glass over the first hour.

3/9/2018 - wineduggery Does not like this wine:

The least fruity Champagne ever. Apple and lemon tasting notes are way off. Guava/melon maybe, but it’s subtle at best. Brioche predominates with a fine mousse. High quality, but not my style.

3/7/2018 - wineduggery Likes this wine:

What can I say? I just love this humble wine. It’s like a good rosé with its salty minerality. Just yummy. Drrobvino nailed the flavor profile.

3/6/2018 - wineduggery wrote:

Consistent with the previous note. This is thin and simple given the cost.

3/4/2018 - wineduggery wrote:

A fine mousse with some complexity after being open for an hour, but otherwise entirely forgettable. I’m with the CW on this one.

2/28/2018 - wineduggery wrote:

Nice acidity, but too simple. Not worth the money.

2/27/2018 - wineduggery wrote:

Pretty thin relative to other vintages.

2/23/2018 - wineduggery Likes this wine:

Very closed early, so it needs a minimum 1 hour decant. After that, it opens up beautifully. Smooth tannins and very elegant, so Twopawsup nailed it.

2/18/2018 - wineduggery Likes this wine:

A solid value wine from Napa, but I don’t like it nearly as much as the 2013.

2/18/2018 - wineduggery wrote:

A very unusual Champagne, as it was dominated by autolytic and nutty flavors with very little fruit flavor to balance it. Nice mouth feel. I didn’t particularly like it, but it was an amazing pairing with a curry dish.

2/16/2018 - wineduggery Likes this wine:

Apple and yeast. Powerful with a long finish. Not complex, but I like it.

2/15/2018 - wineduggery Does not like this wine:

I usually enjoy this wine, but this vintage has an acidic, mineral bite on the finish that was just too intense. It was off putting to say the least. I’ll wait for the 2016s.

2/11/2018 - wineduggery Likes this wine:

A solid Champagne, but it has the same basic profile as Kirkland (minus the finish). I’d take 2.5 bottles of the Costco brand over this any day.

2/10/2018 - wineduggery wrote:

Bad Monkey nailed the flavor profile. Has potential, but drinking very young now. Hold.

2/8/2018 - wineduggery Likes this wine:

I like the sweet and savory notes in this wine. Cherry, spice, and pine. Not flashy, but good with a meal.

2/3/2018 - wineduggery Does not like this wine:

A beautiful, fine mousse, but this wine is dominated by green apple. Far too sour on the finish. The NV is far better for less money.

2/1/2018 - wineduggery Likes this wine:

Beautifully integrated oak regimen. Has real subtlety and elegance.

1/20/2018 - wineduggery Does not like this wine:

Apple all day, but not much else. I’d take a Costco Champagne over this any day at less than half the price.

1/15/2018 - wineduggery Likes this wine:

A consistently solid Pinot, but this is a particularly good vintage. Elegant. Red berry and cola predominate.